A dispute over fishing berths at the Lazure marina in Meljine, Herceg Novi, has developed into a wider discussion about Montenegro’s coastal concessions, maritime infrastructure and fisheries development obligations. Local political group Novska Lista renewed calls for a dedicated fishing port in Herceg Novi following a meeting with Savo Ćetković, president of the National Association of Fish Producers of Montenegro. The organisation’s members have been seeking permanent moorings and secure landing facilities for commercial fishing vessels for several years.
The issue involves more than providing places for small boats to dock. A functioning fishing port connects vessels with landing facilities, food-safety controls, catch registration, cold storage, wholesalers and restaurants. Montenegro has approximately 300 kilometres of coastline, a significant tourism sector and strong demand for seafood from hotels and restaurants, but it still does not have a fully dedicated fishing port. Commercial vessels currently use city harbours, mixed-use marinas and limited berthing facilities spread along the coast.
Fishing fleet remains small and ageing
The structure of Montenegro’s fishing fleet reflects the sector’s infrastructure challenges. The latest comprehensive sector data recorded 338 registered fishing vessels, including 24 trawlers, 27 purse seiners and 56 longliners. The remaining vessels are mainly smaller boats using gill nets and other coastal fishing equipment. The average vessel is approximately 32 years old and slightly longer than seven metres. Only a limited number of boats have refrigeration or onboard cold-storage capacity.
Historically, vessel-monitoring systems covered around 10 per cent of the fleet, while automatic identification systems covered about 8 per cent. Montenegro has since invested in additional equipment and digital control systems, but the fleet remains fragmented and constrained by limited capital availability. Secure port infrastructure is considered important for investment decisions by vessel owners. Without permanent access to berths, fuel, maintenance services and authorised landing points, financing new vessels, refrigeration equipment or more efficient engines becomes more difficult.
Limited landing infrastructure affects seafood supply chain
The absence of organised landing facilities also affects fishermen’s ability to obtain higher prices. Montenegro does not have an organised fish auction, and catches are generally sold directly to restaurants, retailers, market traders or intermediaries. This model can support smaller quantities of premium species, but it is less suitable for larger volumes of sardines, anchovies and other blue fish requiring rapid unloading, cooling and distribution.
Purse seiners can land significant quantities within a short period, but the value of their catch declines quickly without ice production, temperature-controlled handling and organised buyers. Processing capacity is also limited. Montenegro has only a small number of processors, and their combined industrial capacity is insufficient for larger or irregular catches. Fuel accounts for between 19 per cent and 39 per cent of operating costs in parts of the marine fleet, with the highest burden affecting trawlers. Ageing engines, maintenance requirements and limited onboard refrigeration further increase operating costs.
Seafood imports remain significant despite coastline
The infrastructure gap contributes to Montenegro’s dependence on imported seafood. Fish and seafood trade reached approximately €26 million in 2022, with exports representing only around 0.2 per cent of total trade. Imports increased by approximately €6.5 million, or 34 per cent, compared with the previous year. Domestic seafood consumption was estimated at 6.75 kilograms per person, below levels recorded in many Mediterranean countries. Even at that consumption level, domestic production does not satisfy demand.
The gap becomes more visible during the tourism season, when hotels and restaurants require larger quantities of seabass, seabream, octopus, squid, shellfish and other seafood products. A fishing port in Herceg Novi would serve local fishermen, provide a regulated landing point for the Bay of Kotor and support tourism-related seafood supply chains. The facility could also support mariculture operators, although aquaculture and wild fishing would require separate procedures for handling, reporting and sanitary controls.
Bay of Kotor supports aquaculture activity
The Bay of Kotor already has commercial cultivation of mussels, oysters, seabass and seabream.
Approximately two dozen companies have held permits for fish or shellfish farming in the area.
Earlier production data showed annual marine aquaculture output of around 366 tonnes, consisting of:
- mussels: 61 per cent
- seabass: 20 per cent
- seabream: 17 per cent
- oysters: approximately 3 per cent
Aquaculture remains a relatively small industry but has expansion potential through additional sites, improved feed systems, hatchery development and stronger environmental controls.
Fishing port requires wider logistics infrastructure
A fully operational fisheries hub at Meljine would require more than berthing capacity. Potential infrastructure would include a designated landing quay, protected access for commercial vessels, weighing and recording equipment, an ice plant, chilled storage, freshwater and electricity connections, fuel supply, waste collection, facilities for used oil and fishing gear, sanitary inspection areas and access for refrigerated vehicles. A larger facility could include a first-sale market, packaging equipment, processing capacity and vessel maintenance services.
Digital systems would also need to connect landing declarations, vessel records, catch documentation and traceability information to ensure seafood can move into hotel, retail and export channels with complete legal and sanitary records. Montenegro’s planned fishing port at Cape Đerane in Ulcinj, previously estimated at approximately €15 million, provides a reference point for the investment scale required for a full-purpose facility. A smaller facility at Lazure using existing harbour infrastructure could require less capital, although no current engineering design or updated cost estimate has been publicly disclosed.
Lazure concession dispute linked to 2016 agreement
The dispute at Lazure is connected to obligations included in an earlier development agreement. In November 2016, Imperio Holding Limited signed an agreement with state-owned coastal zone manager Morsko Dobro covering development of the Lazure complex. The agreement envisaged both a nautical tourism port and a fishing port, with completed port infrastructure becoming state property.
The resort and commercial marina were later developed, and the five-star Lazure Hotel & Marina opened in 2018. The marina contains approximately 220 berths protected by a reconstructed breakwater and has become part of Herceg Novi’s higher-end tourism offer. Fishermen argue that the commercial marina component became operational while the fishing facilities, associated logistics and promised access were not delivered in the agreed form. They have requested intervention from the government, Morsko Dobro and other institutions, arguing that private commercial use of the marina should not proceed while public obligations remain unresolved.
Company rejects allegations over marina obligations
Lazure management has rejected claims that it has ignored legal requirements or local fishermen’s interests. The company stated that it operates according to Montenegrin legislation, cooperates with state and municipal institutions and has provided satisfactory conditions for local users.
The company has also referred to an Administrative Court ruling requiring authorities to decide on its request for formal classification of the facility as a nautical tourism marina. The legal questions involve separate issues: whether the facility meets technical requirements for marina classification and whether all obligations from the development agreement were fulfilled.
Berth numbers require technical review
Documents referenced by different parties contain differing figures regarding berth allocation. Earlier official explanations referred to at least 156 berths, including 50 commercial berths for the investor and the remainder reserved for residents. Fishermen’s organisations have referred to 116 communal berths for commercial fishermen and local users, alongside shore-side logistics.
Other records have mentioned a fishing section containing 106 berths. The differences have created a need for a formal technical and contractual review covering the approved design, concession boundaries, constructed berths, current users, tariffs, public-use areas and required fishing infrastructure.
Fisheries sector supported by EU-related funding
Montenegro’s fisheries sector remains economically small. Government development strategy estimates annual sector output at approximately €7.4 million, while broader estimates place its contribution below 0.5 per cent of GDP and at no more than around €12 million annually. The government adopted the 2024–2029 Fisheries Development Strategy with planned expenditure of €26.52 million.
Funding sources include:
- €15.65 million through World Bank-supported MIDAS programmes
- €4.47 million from the national budget
- €3.61 million from EU pre-accession assistance
- remaining funding from other European sources
The programme aims to modernise the fishing fleet, improve inspection and administration, develop aquaculture, strengthen processing capacity and align Montenegro with the EU Common Fisheries Policy. By the time of the European Commission’s 2025 assessment, seven of eight vessel-modernisation investments contracted under the MIDAS 2 programme had been completed. All involved new vessels shorter than 10 metres.
EU fisheries commitments require operational improvements
Montenegro adopted new legislation in 2025 covering marine fisheries, aquaculture, structural support and state aid, while also approving an action plan to strengthen administrative, inspection and control capacity. These steps allowed Chapter 13 on fisheries and aquaculture to be provisionally closed in December 2025. Implementation requirements remain, including stronger controls, reporting systems and enforcement capacity. The European Commission identified staffing and enforcement as areas requiring improvement. Montenegro was assessed as moderately prepared, with no increase in the number of fisheries inspectors or administrative staff during the reporting period.
A regulated landing system would support more effective monitoring by concentrating catches at authorised locations and improving inspection of logbooks, species, quantities, minimum sizes, fishing gear and sanitary requirements. It would also strengthen control against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by creating clearer traceability from catch to final buyer.
Possible Meljine solution focused on compact fisheries hub
A future fishing facility in Herceg Novi would need to match the area’s limited space and existing tourism activity. The Bay of Kotor is used by tourism operators, cruise traffic, recreational vessels and protected environmental areas, limiting the potential for large industrial fishing infrastructure.
A compact fisheries hub at Meljine could focus on secure berths, regulated landings, cold-chain services and local seafood distribution. Potential revenue sources could include berth fees, ice production, storage, handling, fuel, maintenance and market services, while maintaining regulated conditions for professional fishermen. The dispute at Lazure has highlighted the need to align tourism development, maritime concessions and fisheries infrastructure within a single coastal management framework.
